Watercolor plein air painting     10 inches x 6.5 inches    $250
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

The very first day we arrived, I was drawn to the beautiful, main entrance to Villa Spannochia. Not part of the original structure built in the 1100s, it is a stately addition errected around the 1700s. Almost every night 15-30 interns, visitors, owners, workers and guests would meet on the patio to talk and drink wine, made on the property, before dinner. A very civilized and fun tradition. Then we would move into a huge dining room where we would be served 3-5 courses of wonderful Tuscan food. Almost every single thing we tasted was raised and produced on Spannochia’s 2500 acres. Vegetables, fruits, wine, cheese, salami, pork, veal, chicken, pasta, bread, liquers…everything! Even the wood that heats the buildings and water, and the marble used for stairs, tiles and sinks, come from the hills surrounding the Villa. Almost nothing is thrown in the trash, going to either compost, pig slop or recycling. A truly sustainable and earth friendly way to live.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors

Gouache plein air landscape painting    12  inches x 9 inches   $350
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

Just back from an UNBELIEVABLE trip to Tuscany with my friend and “sister-in-law,” Jill. We spent two awe-inspiring weeks at an old farm in Tuscany, about 15 miles from Siena. Jill’s daughter had been an intern in charge of animals at Spannochia a few years back and she regaled me with stories about the beautiful views and kind, fascinating people. She was right. In fact it was more wonderful than I expected. Over the next month or so I will post some of the 24 paintings I did there and fill you in on some of the interesting cities we visited.

I painted this scene early one morning looking up the hill to one of the small farms (or fattorias) that are part of the Spannochia property. Many of the buildings are from the 1200s. Their occupants were share croppers in the ancient feudal system and had to give half of everything they raised to the wealthy owners. In return, they lived in the buildings, often with their animals, and were under the protection of the family who owned the land. This archaic system was in effect right up to the 1950s when Italy outlawed it. Now these huge old properties are struggling to survive. The children of farmers have left the land to find work in the cities and it is nearly impossible to find or pay people to maintain the old places. Many of the properties have become “agritourisma” –agriculturally-based operations that bring visitors to stay at a farm. Spannochia has taken this route and does it wonderfully, providing work for international interns and fascinating information for its visitors.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Mat board
Medium: Windsor Newton Gouache

Watercolor plein air painting     SOLD
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When I visited La Romita a couple of years ago, we traveled to all of the little Umbrian hill towns in the region. But I also spent a lot of time painting at and around the monastery that was our home base. Although comfortably updated, the building still had a lot of its historic charm intact. I loved the old shuttered windows and the stairway that lead up to the upper story bedrooms. One cloudy afternoon before dinner, I painted this quick sketch on Yupo paper.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Yupo
Medium: Da Vinci Watercolors

Pastel Italian cityscape painting     19  inches x 19 inches      SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Terra Cotta Colourfix Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Watercolor plein air Italian paintings      5″ x 12″      SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in these or similar artworks.

While I’m traveling, I thought I’d post a few paintings from previous trips to my absolute favorite country in the world.  I guess I am just a little bit biased…

This is a painting I did a few years ago in Umbria, when I visited La Romita School of Art. The town of Assisi, in the province of Perugia, is perched high on a hill that overlooks the surrounding countryside. After a full day of touring the historic churches and little side streets, I sat on the old city wall and captured this view of the rolling hills and ancient villas.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Yupo
Medium: Da Vinci Watercolors

Gouache painting        12  inches x 9 inches
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

After completing my previously posted 3 architectural sketches for the 25 Works Project, I was pleasantly surprised when I received a request from the coordinator to take on another favorite Ann Arbor location, the Farmer’s Market. I’ve shot tons of reference photos of this local jewel over the years, so I was able to work from one that showed the stalls in their full summer glory. However, since I was only days away from leaving for Italy, I had to temper my usual type A personality and create only one option for the jurors review. I loved the colorful diagonal that the baskets of peaches created and the woman captured at work in the sunlight. Hope they like it too!

I think we will be notified on the results of the jurying in late May. If accepted, this piece would be created at approximately 24 x 18 inches in pastel…

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Foamcore
Medium: Windsor Newton Gouache

Gouache architecture paintings        12  inches x 9 inches
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

First Martin Corporation, a local commercial real estate company, owns and manages many properties in Washtenaw County, Michigan. They are a well-respected and successful organization that gives a lot back to our community. 25 years ago, they commissioned 25 artists to create artworks relating to the Ann Arbor area, and then hung them in their buildings. Fast forward 25 years, and they are doing it again! Many area artists were asked to apply for the honor of being one of the current 25 commission creators. I was excited to make the first cut and was assigned one of First Martin’s preeminent properties, The First National Building on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. As a next step, we have been asked to submit a small color layout of the painting we propose.

After years of advertising brainstorming, it was difficult for me to produce only one option for review–so I did three! And I went a little farther than just “layouts”. I started on foamcore that I had underpainted with an acrylic wash gradating from yellow at the top to red at the bottom. Then I sketched in the basic structure from reference photos I had taken on a bright sunny afternoon. I over painted the image using gouache, my new favorite medium. I wanted to imply some of the majesty of this old building that anchors our great city, but I also wanted to give it a warm, artisan flavor. The stonework and carvings that ornament the building are scrumptious and were of special interest to me.

It will be interesting to see if the jurors chose one of these approaches. The final piece would be 36 x 24 inches and executed in pastel…

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Foamcore
Medium: Windsor Newton Gouache

Watercolor painting     22 inches x 15 inches    SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Watercolor sketch    7.5 inches x 5 inches

And the last of the commissioned sailboat watercolors. Can’t wait to visit the high-end new hotel in Traverse City and see the paintings in their new home!

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors

Watercolor painting     22 inches x 15 inches    SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Watercolor sketch    7.5 inches x 5 inches

Third painting in the quadriptych. By now I am a firm believer in doing preliminary sketches for large projects. It often seems like an unnecessary step, since I have my concept in mind already, but I’ve found it really frees me up when I work on the larger work. I’ve already made decisions on color, value and composition so I can paint with a bit more abandon.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors

Watercolor painting     22 inches x 15 inches    SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Watercolor sketch    7.5 inches x 5 inches

This is the second in the series for the new hotel lobby. Each one of the 4 watercolor seascapae paintings will “float” on a large white background in a frame and they’ll be hung next to each other to form a sort of quadriptych. I had to keep this in mind when I painted, making sure to use the same palette of colors and the same amount of detail and depth in each piece.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors

Watercolor painting     22 inches x 15 inches    SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Watercolor sketch    7.5 inches x 5 inches

I thought while I was traveling I would post some of the recent commissions I’ve been working on.

My nephew’s investment company is doing a luxury renovation of an old Michigan hotel “up north” and the interior designer contacted me to inquire about the possibility of creating paintings for the lobby. It has a very modern, contemporary look and they wanted colorful, loose watercolors that would highlight the areas water attractions. The designer had visited my site and liked one of my small watercolors of a sailboat. I presented 5 small sketches and he chose 4 for me to recreate in a large format.

This is the first one with the small sketch below.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors

Plein air watercolor painting    7 inches x 10.5 inches    $250
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

While Johnny and the boys golfed one hot Florida morning, I drove around the course searching for interesting scenes to paint. I found a really neat old building that was being used for a halfway house on the golfcourse. I started by trying to capture the whole building in pastel. As sometimes happens, IT WAS GOD AWFUL. Depressed, I ripped the painting into little bits right there on site. I blamed the unbearable heat and moved my gear under the protective arch of the building. I switched to watercolors and had a little better luck. This is one of the pieces I painted in that cool little nook. As a bonus, I got to chat with every foursome that wandered through on their way to the 14th hole!

If all goes according to plan, I should be on my way to Bella Italia in a couple of days. I am soooo excited! I’ll be enjoying a two-week adventure at a Tuscan Agritourisma with my good friend (and also family member) Jill Baker. She has visited this special location before. Her daughter was an intern in their acclaimed meat program and her brother-in-law, Stan Moeller, an accomplished painter, has lead art workshops on the beautiful grounds of Spannochia. I would be happy to just park myself in the vineyards and orchards and paint my heart out. But, BONUS!, we will also be in the heart of Tuscany, close to Sienna, Montalcino, Montelpulciano and many other Tuscan hill towns. Pure joy. I have been listening to my Italian tapes for the last couple of weeks and hope I can get us around in our piccola macchina (little car)…

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Saunders Waterford Watercolor Paper
Medium: DaVinci Watercolors